The American Samoa Petroleum Cooperative (ASPC) has recommended that the ASG shipyard take over the operation of government tugboats currently under the Department of Port Administration.
In a March 14 letter to the Governor, the ASPC points out that Port Administration does not know how to main boats, and staff admit that the government does not give them enough money to maintain them. So they let the tugs fall into disrepair.
The letter says that in the last year there were five instances where oil tankers were delayed one up to five days at a cost of $35,000 per day from entering port, in winds of under 25 knots due to the lack of tugboats. “This has never happened before in the history of the territory.”
The ASPC asserts that the territory needs 3,000 to 5,000 hp (horse power) tugs to handle 50,000-ton tankers, which are the largest vessels entering this port. They said Port Administration has always bought undersized tugs with the Sailele being the largest at 1,800 horse power. The current tug that’s in operation only has 800 horsepower.
The ASPC recommends that the shipyard take over the operation of the tugboats and they can bill users directly. This way the funds do not go into the ASG General Fund but, instead, used to maintain and operate the tugboats. Port Administration meanwhile will control the use of the tugs.
According to the letter to the Governor, the shipyard can now purchase big enough well-maintained tugboats using shipyard and ASPC funds. These redundant tugs will be from California complete with operators, skippers /engineers.
But in order to make this plan work, it requires the Governor’s endorsement to allow port users to be billed directly, and the funds will go towards the operation of the tugboats and not go to Port Administration and the General Fund.
The letter is signed by Sen Alo Paul Stevenson-ASPC, Xavier Baronnet-Pacific Energy, Kenny Alameda-Clipper Oil, Rob Hardman-Swire Shipping and Injoo Ha-StarKist Samoa.
